Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Protect the Children!

Registered sex offenders told to ignore Halloween

This story made me ask a few questions:


  • Are Athiests going to be told to ignore Christmas?
  • Are Christians going to be told to avoid going to Coliseums?
  • Are murderers going to be prevented from going to movies with violence?
  • Are abusive spouses going to be told to avoid relationships?

I find this type of "protect the children" ideology to be completely anti-social. Yes, we as a society should protect its children. But let me suggest something:

Rather than worrying about the statistical minority of sex offenders on Halloween decorating their houses, how about we be concerned about all the fathers we are sending to Iraq and leaving children in one-parent families.

Statistically I am curious what is causing more damage in our upcoming generation. Sex offenders with carved pumpkins and Halloween decorations, or families torn apart when the fathers are sent to war.

Unfortunately, these issues are seldom about what they seem to be at face value. Instead, these distracting actions remain the best mechanism of social control, by making us feel warm and fuzzy while ignoring the realities of the world around us. I would suggest we refocus our concerns. We move from focusing on some inane fear that we can fix by forcing people to take down decorations, and instead focusing on what will protect the children of tomorrow the most: return their fathers to them.

Protect the children, allow them to have their fathers.

Monday, October 30, 2006

America May Be Finding Its Way....

Everyone has heard the same idea a lot lately: "We live in troubled times." What is meant by this? That we are at war? That the country is polarized? A plethora of scandals from torture to sexual misconduct? Or is it the totality of it all that makes it a troubling time?

I don't believe it is any of these issues that make it troubling. I believe it is that when the war on terror began, so did the war on political dissidents. A political dissident became equivalent to a terrorist and it didn't seem to matter where on the spectrum of dissidents one found themselves. To be politically active against the current administration was a terrorist act, just as bombing a building was. It was at this transitional time we, as Americans, lost one of our most fundamental American qualities.... the ability to be critical of ourselves.

I believe America is a great country. Not because of our education, not because of our military, not because of our economy; but because we have been self-critical. In the history of superpowers, this superpower has shown the highest level of accountability so far. This is not to say we can't improve, but compared to other historical superpowers we have grown in a way that hasn't in the past. We have grown ideologically. This is why I find recent years so troubling.

On Sept. 11th, the US was attacked. Millions stood in horror and shock, then anger, then fearfully numb. Our government, at a critical time in this countries history, made a fatal flaw in the decision making process. It forgot accountability. It forgot to ask a basic question: "why were we attacked?" And failing to ask and understand this question has led us down the road that previous superpowers have traveled before. The path of decree, the path of righteousness, and the path of self-destruction.

I see a glimmer of hope though. Americans are starting to find their voice, starting to criticize, starting to question again. Fear is subsiding to anger. And it is through anger and disgust that people are speaking. Americans have seldom agreed with one another and that is where the strength of this country can be found. In our dissident views of one another. It is time that we don't view our dissidents as terrorism against righteousness, but the grounding framework that gives birth to this great country.

Two movies take shots at Bush

Friday, October 27, 2006

Rebirth

This is the rebirth of my blog. We will see how this life version is treated.

- image by Exidos.